Dip stick hard to push in tube
The dipstick tube has one bolt an bracket about halfway down. The tube itself is just pressed into the block. You have to be careful to not snap it off at the block, mine did. Theni spent the subsequent 3 hrs trying to remove it. I suggest soakig it thoroughly for a.couple of days with some pb blaster. I ended up using freeze off, torch, and easy out and still.did not getthe.remainder out, came back the next day an it just popped.out. Lol
I also have a 96 ram 1500 with a 5.9. I just recently bought it and noticed the same problem with the dipstick. Not sure whats holding it up but I bet its a pretty common issue because i was looking to buy another dodge with the same engine a few years ago and it had the same problem. The guy selling it told me that it was always like that.I hope some of the experts have an answer. I'll be watching this thread. Good luck with an answer.
I actually have been having this same problem with my 96 5.2L Grand Cherokee.
Though my problem didn't start until after I had removed the pan to replace the oil pump. A little while later the motor through a bearing so I ripped it down completely and bought a new dip stick tube. The tube I took out was PERFECT. So is the oil pan. I made sure everything was free and clear before reassembly, with a new tube and even a different pan from a long block motor that the stick slide nicely into. Same problem. I've tried 3 different dipsticks, all the same. Some still had the plastic bit on the end of the stick to help it slide.
I read somewhere else that the stick gets wedged into a corner and has a hard time sliding past. Some people suggested twisting the end of the dipstick a little more (with pliers, outside of the vehicle) so that when it slides into the set up a little differently but that didn't help either. In one instance, it made it worse.
What I'm going to look at doing it using plasti-dip to build up the tip of the stick and try it. If I have any success when I do it, I'll share for sure.
Though my problem didn't start until after I had removed the pan to replace the oil pump. A little while later the motor through a bearing so I ripped it down completely and bought a new dip stick tube. The tube I took out was PERFECT. So is the oil pan. I made sure everything was free and clear before reassembly, with a new tube and even a different pan from a long block motor that the stick slide nicely into. Same problem. I've tried 3 different dipsticks, all the same. Some still had the plastic bit on the end of the stick to help it slide.
I read somewhere else that the stick gets wedged into a corner and has a hard time sliding past. Some people suggested twisting the end of the dipstick a little more (with pliers, outside of the vehicle) so that when it slides into the set up a little differently but that didn't help either. In one instance, it made it worse.
What I'm going to look at doing it using plasti-dip to build up the tip of the stick and try it. If I have any success when I do it, I'll share for sure.
I will make it more interesting. I just clean the oil off the stick, wrap my hand around the tube and dip stick so it won't bend and ram it home. I knew I should have never started this thread, that is why I made the video to show I actually had a problem. Still it does leave room for interruption.
Last edited by diverjer; Dec 13, 2012 at 09:17 PM.






